http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/130161.html
Kings lack insight on coach's self-rebuke
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:12 am PST Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Eric Musselman's one-man blame game after Monday's loss to Philadelphia sparked much debate among fans and media, with many deeming his stance wholly sarcastic and others looking for alternative hidden meanings.
In the Kings' locker room, players who were told third-hand about his comments had no more insight than the rest.
"I'm not sure what's going through his head," Kings small forward Ron Artest said. "He's having a tough time with all these losses. They keep piling up slowly, and you just have to put a stop to it. Eventually, it'll come around."
Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim said the players need to share the blame for a situation that has grown worse as they've lost six of their last eight games.
"It's on all of us, you know," he said. "It really can't fall just on him."
The Salmons return -- John Salmons is the least vindictive of the Kings' bunch, but even he admitted that his triple double against Allen Iverson on Dec. 22 in Denver was sweet, in light of their shared history. Like so many 76ers teammates before him, Salmons felt that Iverson's style didn't allow him to flourish when they played together for four seasons.
And perhaps revealing that any revenge factor ended there, Salmons came far from repeating the effort when he finally faced the team they once played for together. The Kings swingman had no points, two rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes, missing his one attempt on an isolation drive to the basket. Iverson, of course, was traded to Denver and was welcomed by Salmons' triple double in his debut.
"I'm happy just because (the Iverson saga) is over with," Salmons said. "They're just playing free now."
Asked if it was the right time for Iverson to be dealt, Salmons took the political route, leading one Philadelphia media member to urge honesty by saying, "He's thousands of miles away, for crying out loud!"
"The way it ended, I guess you could say (it was time) because they weren't winning," Salmons said while smiling. "Ticket sales weren't great, and that's the business. You've got to be a unique player to be able to play with him. I think he'd tell you that."
Artest-ing his patience? -- Artest was the topic of discussion in Indiana, despite his no-show reunion against the Pacers.
Before tipoff, Musselman was asked by an Indiana reporter whether Artest had been "high-maintenance," leading to a response nearly as bizarre as the postgame session in Philadelphia.
"I think that I've been around pro basketball my whole life, as a ball boy and for 30 years," Musselman said. "I've been in and out of locker rooms and so, no, I don't think so."
Shooting back -- Before the Kings faced New Jersey, Artest spoke candidly about frequent criticism of his offensive style.
"People are like, Why are you shooting threes, why do you shoot fadeaways? Even some of our (media) people, like, Why is Artest taking wild shots?" he said. "But those are the shots I take. I practice those shots. I practice going to the hole, practice doing everything. If I get healthy, next year's going to be even worse. God willing, I stay injury-free and have a hell of a season."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
Kings lack insight on coach's self-rebuke
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:12 am PST Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Eric Musselman's one-man blame game after Monday's loss to Philadelphia sparked much debate among fans and media, with many deeming his stance wholly sarcastic and others looking for alternative hidden meanings.
In the Kings' locker room, players who were told third-hand about his comments had no more insight than the rest.
"I'm not sure what's going through his head," Kings small forward Ron Artest said. "He's having a tough time with all these losses. They keep piling up slowly, and you just have to put a stop to it. Eventually, it'll come around."
Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim said the players need to share the blame for a situation that has grown worse as they've lost six of their last eight games.
"It's on all of us, you know," he said. "It really can't fall just on him."
The Salmons return -- John Salmons is the least vindictive of the Kings' bunch, but even he admitted that his triple double against Allen Iverson on Dec. 22 in Denver was sweet, in light of their shared history. Like so many 76ers teammates before him, Salmons felt that Iverson's style didn't allow him to flourish when they played together for four seasons.
And perhaps revealing that any revenge factor ended there, Salmons came far from repeating the effort when he finally faced the team they once played for together. The Kings swingman had no points, two rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes, missing his one attempt on an isolation drive to the basket. Iverson, of course, was traded to Denver and was welcomed by Salmons' triple double in his debut.
"I'm happy just because (the Iverson saga) is over with," Salmons said. "They're just playing free now."
Asked if it was the right time for Iverson to be dealt, Salmons took the political route, leading one Philadelphia media member to urge honesty by saying, "He's thousands of miles away, for crying out loud!"
"The way it ended, I guess you could say (it was time) because they weren't winning," Salmons said while smiling. "Ticket sales weren't great, and that's the business. You've got to be a unique player to be able to play with him. I think he'd tell you that."
Artest-ing his patience? -- Artest was the topic of discussion in Indiana, despite his no-show reunion against the Pacers.
Before tipoff, Musselman was asked by an Indiana reporter whether Artest had been "high-maintenance," leading to a response nearly as bizarre as the postgame session in Philadelphia.
"I think that I've been around pro basketball my whole life, as a ball boy and for 30 years," Musselman said. "I've been in and out of locker rooms and so, no, I don't think so."
Shooting back -- Before the Kings faced New Jersey, Artest spoke candidly about frequent criticism of his offensive style.
"People are like, Why are you shooting threes, why do you shoot fadeaways? Even some of our (media) people, like, Why is Artest taking wild shots?" he said. "But those are the shots I take. I practice those shots. I practice going to the hole, practice doing everything. If I get healthy, next year's going to be even worse. God willing, I stay injury-free and have a hell of a season."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
